An interest held by central government department of agencies, the Crown Estate, by the monarch in his or her own right or by the Duchies of Cornwall or Lancashire

Land in which there is a Crown interest – see ‘Crown interest’

A prescribed document that shows, by reference to base mapping, the location and extent of Crown land – see ‘Crown land’

Refers to the Royal Duchies of Cornwall and Lancashire. Both are held by the monarch but traditionally the Duchy of Cornwall is divested to the eldest son of the monarch

In land registration (especially in England & Wales), a rule that advises that the property title plans show boundaries in their general location, not their precise legal line, because maps are not perfectly accurate; the exact boundary relies on deeds, physical features (fences, walls), and history. Given the difficulties referred to above in establishing the position of the legal boundary, the great majority of registered titles show only the ’general boundaries’ (see s.60(1) of the Land Registration Act 2002)

A rule or legal convention that presumes that a) the owner of land fronting a road is the owner of the soil up to the halfway point of the road, with the surface of the public highway, if publicly maintainable, vesting in the highway authority; and b) the ownership up to the halfway point passes by any transfer of the land fronting the road - see ‘frontage’

One who is authorized to act and/or received notices on behalf of an interested party. Typically a solicitor or a land agent

A mapping notation used to indicate the commencement and termination points of a work centreline. To distinguish one from the other one may be blocked in black and the other left white - see ‘work’ and ‘centreline’

see ‘limits’

A prescribed document which lists all notifiable properties and interests pertaining to them. For long linear projects the book of refence is usually divided into sections by parish or local authority area

A description given in the second column of a book of reference that describes the extent of book of reference plot over which powers are sought. Includes the area of the plot and sufficient information to make it clear if the rights sought are limited to any extent (e.g. to exclude one or more levels such as oversailing, surface or subsoil level interests)

The number given in the first column of a book of reference. These are sequential and unique to that chapter of the book of reference and are used to provide the necessary references to book of reference plots given in notices, land plans, order or bill/act schedules and statements of reasons

i) An engineering-derived line that defines the vertical long section of a work on a works plan (see ‘works’ and ‘works plan’); ii) An imaginary line corresponding to the middle of linear feature, particularly a highway or watercourse

A special category of land, specifically land subject to enclosure under the Inclosure Acts 1845 to 1882, and any town or village green – see ‘special category land’

A schedule, usually accompanied by a plan or plans, issued to an interested party to ask them to confirm, amend or update the details held regarding the property they have an interest in and the nature of that interest, typically issued in readiness for the creation of a book of reference or other key milestone output

A map and statement held and maintained by the surveying authority that provides an authoritative record and legal proof of the existence, nature and routes of public rights of way, as required under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. Unless exempted, the maintenance of the map and statement is a duty on all surveying authorities in England and Wales

see ‘non-contact land referencing’

The collective noun for land referencers

The level of duty on land referencing, specifically as required under the Planning Act 2008 – see also ‘reasonable inquiry’

A privately held right to cross and re-cross and otherwise use someone else’s land for a specified purpose – see also ‘servitude’

The spatial definition of the totality of uniform land ownerships, as defined by land registry title plans

The individual responsible for carrying out a deceased’s wishes as laid out in their will, such as distributing assets to beneficiaries. The executor also handles other tasks associated with closing the deceased’s affairs, including receiving notices on behalf of the estate. ‘Executor’ or ‘executrix’ are therefore possible qualifications to a recorded entry in a book of reference – see ‘qualification’

Spatial definition of land over which powers are to be exercised

A property outside limits that nevertheless projects a notifiable interest to those with an interest in that property on the extent of a public highway immediately in front of that property up the centreline of that highway insofar as that extent of the public highway is in limits. This is as a result of the ad medium filum rule – see ‘ad medium filum’

An interest in a frontage property – see ‘frontage’

An allotment set out as a fuel allotment, or a field garden allotment, under the Inclosure Act – see ‘special category land’

A series of shades of grey used to distinguish between parcels and plots. (Guthrie first conjectured the Four Colour Theorem that postulates that all parts of a map in plane may be shaded or coloured using only four shades or colours such that no part sharing a common boundary, other than at a single point, are adjacent)

see ‘parcel’

A way over which the public have a right to pass and repass – see also ‘public right of way’

The body responsible for maintaining public rights of way

In mapping, a survey map symbol (often an elongated 'S' shape, hook, or curly brace) that connects two or more adjacent land parcels, indicating they are under common ownership, part of the same tax parcel, or were previously part of a larger, single tract. Used as an alternative to shading or colour to denote that a line given by the base mapping is not a land ownership boundary. The absence of one is therefore an indication that a line shown may be intended to denote a land ownership boundary

A legal right held in land

An individual or entity with an interest in land – see also ‘notifiable interest’

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see ‘estate’

A form, possibly partially pre-populated, issued to a suspected interested party for them to complete and return in order to gather details of the property they have interests in and the nature of these interests, plus the nature of other interests held in the same property (see also ‘request for information’)

see ‘parcel’

A prescribed document that identifies, by reference to base mapping, the location and extent of land required for the development; land over which it is proposed to exercise powers of compulsory purchase or any rights to use land; any land where it is proposed to extinguish easements, servitudes and other private rights; and where land may include special category land and replacement land

The professional practice of identifying land and interests in land and applying this information to address the needs of those requiring it. It is therefore the professional practice of identifying and classifying persons and organizations holding legal interests and rights over land which is or may be subject to development, typically to support associated consultation, planning and land and rights acquisition processes

A spatial definition of a land referencing scope, drawn slightly wider than the anticipated limits to be used in the order or bill/act to allow for some limited changes in the engineering design and also, if the statutory process requires it, to identify a wider set of indirectly affected properties and associated interests (land affected by the construction or operation of projects as per s.10 of the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965, Part 1 of the Land Compensation Act 1973 or s.152 of the Planning Act 2008)

A schedule of parcels and associated interests, possibly as a precursor to the development of a book of reference

see ‘interested party’

The spatial extent of legal right in land (see also ‘physical boundary’)

The spatial definition of the maximum horizontal extent of one of more work. This land would typically be subject to permanent acquisition powers

The spatial definition of the maximum horizontal extent of powers required for purposes other than for the works. This land may be subject to a range of powers from permanent acquisition to temporary rights

The fullest extent of the combined limits of deviation and limits of land to be acquired or used, i.e. the maximum extent of all delineated powers over land (see ‘limit of deviation’ and ‘limit of land to be acquired or used’)

An interested party with multiple interests, for convenience managed through the land referencing process separately from those with fewer interests. Often a local authority or utility company

see ‘hook’

A desktop approach to land referencing that uses only publicly available records and does not involve any direct contact with any interested parties. Often employed as an initial, scoping stage of a land referencing exercise so as not to unnecessarily concern potentially affected landowners or others. In itself would not constitute diligent or reasonable inquiry

The label used in a book of reference to signify that, after diligent/reasonable enquiry, the freehold, leasehold and/or occupation is unknown

An interest that qualifies for inclusion in a book of reference and/or for the receipt of any notice: typically a freeholder, leaseholder (including sub-leaseholders), occupier (with a notice period of greater than one month), a beneficiary of a charge such as a mortgagee or beneficiary of a right of way/easement (or possibly a covenant), or an authorized representative of any of the above

The phrase included in a book of reference to signify that no entry is made against a number in the sequence of any chapter – see ‘book of reference number’

An entry in a land registry that is a certified copy of the land or charge certificate, confirming ownership of a property

Land laid out as a public garden, or used for the purposes of public recreation or public amenity land, or land being a disused burial ground – see ‘special category land’

see ‘limits’

The spatial definition of land held in uniform ownership, occupation, use and title, defined prior to the finalization of a book of reference, possibly for a land referencing schedule

An individual with a notifiable interest in land – see ‘interested party’

A built or natural feature that may suggest, but is not necessarily, a legal boundary defining the spatial extent of a legal right (see also ‘legal boundary’)

The spatial definition of parcels as divided and defined for a book of reference; i.e. subdivided by acquisition requirements set out in the order or bill/act

A submissible document that is required as part of a planning process seeking powers

A right of way restricted to one or more individuals or entities and not open to the wider public

A senior post in a limited company or registered charity designated to receive official correspondence, including notifications, on behalf of that organization; often the company secretary (addressed as ‘The Secretary’) at the registered office address or another address designed for the purpose of receiving such notifications – see also ‘registered office address’

A way over which the public have a right to pass and repass (see ‘highway’); convention excludes roads normally used by motor vehicles; strictly, an abstract right, not a physical feature

An employee whose role is concerned with the management, upkeep, maintenance and/or recording of public rights of way on behalf of the responsible authority

A characteristic that limits an interest to either the extent of their interest in land (e.g. in respect of access) and/or to their capacity to hold that interests (e.g. as a partner in a business)

The level of duty on land referencing, specifically as required under Parliamentary Standing Orders and the Transport and Works Act (Objections and Procedures) (England and Wales) Rules 2000 – see also ‘diligent enquiry’

A line (traditionally but not necessarily coloured red) used to define a land referencing scope, possibly set as a working assumption before the final spatial extend of the intended powers have been established – see also ‘land referencing limits’

see ‘land referencing’

The address required for all correspondence to a limited company or registered charity. This address must be a physical address in the UK and in the same country that the company is registered in; for example, an organization registered in Scotland must have a registered office address in Scotland. A PO Box address is acceptable, but it must still include a physical address and postcode – see also ‘proper officer’

The qualification applicable to freehold and leasehold entries in a book of reference that permits the auditable evidence to support their inclusion to be less than that required to be confident that diligent/reasonable enquiry has been exercised. This phrase allows the land reference to err on the side of caution and include interested parties without the standard of proof relied upon elsewhere

see ‘land interest questionnaire’

Term used to describe both public and private rights of way, although often used to describe just public rights of way – see ‘public rights of way’ and ‘private rights of way’

A prescribed document that shows, by reference to base mapping, any new or altered means of access, stopping up of streets or roads or any diversions, extinguishments or creation of public rights of way or public rights of navigation

A type of natural right linked or connected to the ownership of land abutting a stream or river or lake. They have no statutory origin but are rights enjoyed since time immemorial by the owners of the land adjoining non-tidal water bodies

Any highway and any other road to which the public has access, including footpaths, bridgeways, other rights of way including ways the public has access to by permission of the landowner, not by right

The material a road surface is made out of which traditionally/theoretically remains in the ownership of the highway authority to the depth of ‘two spits’ – see also ‘spit’

The subjection of a property to an easement – see ‘easement’

A spatial gap created by an inconsistency between the boundaries of two or more adjacent parcels

Land which benefits from a degree of protection from compulsory purchase powers, typically because compulsory purchase is prohibited, the owner can require compulsory purchase to be subject to special parliamentary procedure or can require the authorization of compulsory purchase powers to be authorized by special parliamentary procedure. Includes land forming part of a common, open space, National Trust land or fuel or field garden allotment – see ‘common land’, ‘fuel or field garden allotment’ and ‘open space’

A term used to describe the length of the face of a spade when explaining who traditionally/theoretically owns the scrapings of a road surface, the ownership of which resides with the highway authority to the depth of ‘two spits’ – see also ‘scrapings’

‘A formula that describes the best way of doing something. The distilled wisdom of people with expertise in their subject matter and who know the needs of the organizations they represent’ - International Organization for Standardization (ISO); see https://www.iso.org/standards.html

A prescribed document that sets out why compulsory acquisition is necessary to enable a development to proceed, by reference to the plots given in the book of reference, land plans and order schedules

One of the various companies and agencies given general licence to carry out certain development and highways works. Generally these are utility, telecoms or nationalized companies

Land subject to protection from both compulsory acquisition of land and of new rights as a result of it being held by a statutory undertaker. Note, such protection is not afforded to all land in which a statutory undertaker has an interest. – see ‘statutory undertaker’

Any highway, includes footpaths and bridleways and other rights of way; may include ways which are not highways

The body charged with street maintenance and the handling of works in streets by statutory undertakers

A layer of land below the surface to be acquired by a land acquisition process, typically excluding the acquisition of the land above that layer. This subsurface level often starts 9 metres below the surface but the precise depth usually defined by the relevant order or bill/act

A type of acquisition limited to the surface of the land in question

The body responsible for the preparation and maintenance of the definitive map

A list inserted into some books of reference to include all parties that may be notifiable but do not have direct interest in affected land, such as statutory undertakers or others with equipment on, under or above land. This list is usually inserted at the end of each local authority or parish section

The condition under which land and property is owned or occupied

see ‘hook’

The definition of legal memory. Strictly, in the UK this is since 06 July 1159, the date of the coronation of Richard I

i) The spatial definition of a single land ownership, as defined by a land registry title plan; ii) a formal or informal nomenclature indicating high social or office rank. In land referencing practice, only formal titles are used

A plan provided by a land registry to delineate registered land

The body which exercises traffic management powers through the making of traffic regulation orders

A phrase used to describe the absence of a known freehold, leasehold and/or occupational interest

Land and/or an interest in land that is not included in a land register

A single engineering element described in an order or bill/act

i) A catch-all element used in a railway plot or parcel description employed to include railway-related engineering features not otherwise described; ii) the plural of ‘work’ – see ‘work’

A prescribed document that shows, by reference to base mapping, the proposed location or alignment of the development and works